1. Six Months Passport Validity Rule
International travelers know a valid passport is required for visiting foreign countries, but did you know that with only six months validity remaining on your passport, it is of limited use? Many popular visa and non-visa destinations require a passport with at least six months validity, without which airlines may not permit boarding and government officials can deny entry upon arrival. 

2. Mobile Passport (https://mobilepassport.us/.) This new program, based on a smartphone app, is now in place at 25 airports and two cruise ports~Ft. Lauderdale and Port Everglades. The app is sponsored by the U. S. Customs and Border Protection (Department of Homeland Security) and by Airport Councils International (an airport association).
Currently, the app works at the following airports as of the day of publication — Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Houston, Houston Hobby, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Newark, Orlando, Phoenix, Raleigh Durham, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Sen José, Seattle, Tampa, Washington Dulles and West Palm Beach. The updated list can be found on the website as well.
Upon landing, follow the Mobile Passport Control signs, set up your profile for future trips, and use a kiosk for your reentry into the US. It is easy, private, and free.
Profiles can be set up for entire families that contains everyone’s passport numbers and other necessary data. Answer some question about your trip — the same that are asked today. Features:

• Follow the Mobile Passport Control signs to the designated Mobile Passport Control line
• Set up your profile and re-use for future trips
• No need to hunt for a pen or a paper form
• Strong privacy protection
• FREE

 
3. Make Copies Of Your Travel Documents
Before departure, travelers should make copies of their passport and visas in case of an emergency. Leave one copy with a friend or relative and take one with you. It is highly recommended that you have at least one color photocopy of your passport ID page safely stored and separate from your actual passport. This will save you valuable time in case your passport is lost or stolen.

4. Notify your bank and credit card companies of your travel plans.
Many such companies now place freezes on accounts when they see suspicious activity like out-of-country use as a means to prevent fraud. 

5. Clean out your wallet and before leaving.
Remove any receipts and expired cards, along with anything else you don’t absolutely need to carry while traveling. 

Bonus Reminder
​6. Purchase travel insurance -
​There are many benefits to travel insurance but one of the biggest is ensuring medical coverage while abroad. Hospital bills can add up quickly, so purchasing insurance is vital.

A Viking River Cruise in Europe gives everyone the chance to enjoy wine while exploring the world's best known wine regions. A river cruise is a superb way to enrich your vacation by learning more about wines.  Karine Hagen of Viking River Cruises introduces you to the significance of wine on European itineraries.

Delight in joie de vivre in Bordeaux, land of the world's finest wines, truffles, oysters, and cognac, as you cruise the Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde Rivers.

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Introducing the vintner and executive chef of Viking River Cruises

​Karine Hagen probes into the essence of the region's most popular wines with a local authority.

​Karine Hagen takes a closer look with one of Sauternes' local experts. Delight in a preview of this intriguing sweet wine.

​Learn about Port Wines with Karine Hagen as local experts in Porto, Portugal describe the history and production of Portugal's famous Port wines. This fortified sweet red wine, produced exclusively in the Douro Valley in northern Portugal, is most often served as a dessert wine though it also comes in a dry, semi-dry and Muscat varieties. It has a long history dating back to the early 18th century when the British, at war with France at the time, needed a new source of wine. Port wine is enormously popular in Britain and around the world and is still used today as the official wine to toast the Queen at formal dinners.

​Appealing?  Want to plan a river cruise for 2018 or 2019?  I would love to make this happen for you.

​AmaWaterways is committed to transformational and innovated river cruising. In 2019 that commitment moves forward new ships, amenities, and programs, all dedicated to offering authentic and luxurious experiences for their guests. 
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Three new ships will enter AmaWaterways European fleet in 2019.  
The AmaMagna  (right) will be almost twice as wide as traditional river ships with just 196 guests.  Sailing exclusively on the Danube, she will offer several dining and bar options, more onboard activities, message and fitness rooms along with luxurious living spaces. 
The AmaMora will be a sister ship to the AmaLea and AmaKristina and will sail exclusively on the Rhine River. With just 156 guests, there will be generous personal space and multiple dining choices.
The new AmaDouro will be a sister ship to the AmaVida, carry 102 passengers, and will sail exclusively on the Douro River.  Features include four suites, a Sun Deck, a swimming pool, a fitness center and spa, complimentary in-cabin internet access, Video-On-Demand, and ship-wide WiFi.
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Living Well Aboard AmaWaterways
The Wellness Program will expand fleetwide across the European vessels.  Guided biking and hiking tours, onboard exercise activities and relaxation techniques led by a professionally trained wellness host, and healthy meal options.

The Concierge Golf Program 
The AmaWaterways’ Concierge Golf Program, available on the new AmaMagna, will offer passengers the opportunity to golf at five of Europe’s top courses in Slovakia, Austria, Hungary, Germany and the Czech Republic. The Concierge Golf Program arranges a flawless golfing experience where guests are transferred from the ship by a Mercedes to the golf course. The Exclusive Concierge Golf Program is available itineraries from May to mid-October on both the Romantic Danube and Melodies of the Danube. 

Wine Themed Cruises
Famous in the industry for wine-themed cruises, AmaWaterways has expended the selection of wine regions and tastes to explore  to 60 sailings.

Itinerary Enhancements
New - Christmas Markets On The Danube  Taste of Bordeaux – new pre-cruise hotel/land extension: 4 nights Bilbao and San Sebastian, Spain   All Africa Itineraries – new 4-night post tour extension: Rwanda Gorilla and Golden Monkey experience  More time in embarkation or debarkations cities such as Amsterdam and Budapest.

Appealing?  Want to plan an AmaWaterways river cruise in 2019?  I would love to make this happen for you. ​Need more information? We service many of our clients entirely through email.

• Fresh Cookies and Fruit Plate Delivered Daily  Ahhh. . . .

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Appealing?  Want to plan a Uniworld river cruise for 2018 or 2019?  I would love to make this happen for you.  TastefulJourneys.uniworld.com 

​Crystal launched its Crystal River Cruises experiences in 2016 with Crystal Mozart and was quickly voted “Best River Cruise Line” by the readers of Travel + Leisure in the magazine’s 2017 World’s Best Awards after only one year in operation. The newest ships comprise the first and only all-suite, all-balcony, all-butler ships on Europe’s rivers, boasting all categories of accommodations above the water line.

CRYSTAL RIVER SIGNATURE HALLMARKS

• Europe's only all-suite river ships, featuring king-sized beds and personal butler service in every suite
• Farm-to-table dining featuring Crystal’s innovative and acclaimed Michelin-inspired cuisine
• Unlimited fine wines, champagnes, premium spirits and beers
• Unmatched Complimentary Crystal Collection of Destination Experiences in each destination, and a Crystal Signature Event on every itinerary
• Twice as many staff per guest as the industry average, and all staff are Crystal employees
• All gratuities, shipboard and shore-side, included

Charming medieval castles. Grand majestic cathedrals. And new shorter itineraries with multiple overnight stays along the legendary Danube and Rhine Rivers. Enrich your clients’ travel plans with a new Crystal Collection of curated, free excursions in each destination, extraordinary cuisine and the largest suites in all of European river cruising. 

The excursion offerings focus on authenticity and are tailored to travelers’ individual interests, featuring smaller group sizes and extra special details. Nearly 200 enriching excursions are included, with more extravagant pursuits also available at an additional cost. The shore-side excursions highlight the multi-faceted character of each destination and comprises five types of experiences including:

·         Personal Connections – Those looking to explore the culture of a destination can enjoy a one-of-a-kind tour hosted by local residents, artisans and experts;
·         Tantalizing Gastronomy – Guests can relish in the signature culinary styles and specialties of the destination with a variety of dining and hands-on cooking opportunities;
·         Cultural Discoveries – Guests will enjoy comprehensive insight from expert guides into historical landmarks, museums, iconic sites and architectural marvels;
·         Exhilarating Adventures – Active cruise travelers can participate in a selection of invigorating pursuits that combine historical and cultural experiences;
·         Design Your Time – For a more tailored vacation, guests can choose this option, which features a concierge service that designs unique private tours as well as a menu of customized choices. 

To ensure that every detail of each experience is in line with Crystal’s exacting standards of service, excursion group sizes are limited to no more than 15 guests; for larger groups, guides are available to lead the tours in German, Spanish, Portuguese and other languages upon request. Crystal Collection shore excursions offer guest transport to iconic sites and regions via spacious motor coaches that include free WiFi.

From Holland's splendid tulip fields to the vineyards of the Wachau Valley, baroque cathedrals to modern cultural hubs and glittering Christmas markets, travelers can explore the Danube, Rhine, Main and Moselle rivers on itineraries of 7- to 16-days.

Appealing?  Want to plan a Crystal River Cruise for 2018 or 2019?  I would love to make this happen for you. Click the button to contact us.​

This Mother's Day give her the gift of travel.  
Flowers are fine. Dinner, enjoyable. A movie, candy, even perfume.
They're all nice. But she deserves more.
What better way than showing her how much you care and appreciate her than by giving her the world?
Here are just a few ideas to get you excited:

​A week in Paris with Delta Vacations

​Food and Wines along the Danube River with AmaWaterways

                                                                The Greek Islands with Globus 

                                                          Kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland with Brendan

Appealing? I would love to make this happen for you.  Give us a call to plan all the details.
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​Do you think that food should characterize your vacation? Then look no further than AmaWaterways river cruises, where the culinary expertise of their expert chefs is so superb that their European river ships have been inducted into La Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, a celebrated international culinary society!

No matter which itinerary you sail, you’ll delight in magnificent regionally-inspired cuisine made with only the freshest locally sourced ingredients reflective of the destinations you visit, and perfectly paired with local wine—a different red and white poured each night. Whether you choose to dine in the Main Restaurant or at The Chef’s Table, where a multi-course tasting menu awaits, you can rest assured that every bite will more than please your palate.

Come wine and dine with AmaWaterways on an unforgettable river cruise experience this year!

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​You and your friends have organized a successful wine tasting club.  You’ve done everything right for each monthly meeting:

• Decided on a formal or informal format
• Created a theme such as “Wines of Chile,”  “The Best of the California Cabernets,” or “Favorite Holiday Wines”
• Secured appropriate wine tasting supplies and accessories such as glasses, rinse pitchers, dump buckets, drinking water, bland bread or crackers, and a tasting evaluation form for each member
• Allocated time for enrichment from research shared by members or an outside presenter such as a wine merchant or local winery vintner
• Focused on food and wine pairing with the meeting theme
• Mailed a newsletter or sent an enewsletter with the next meeting’s location, agenda, theme, and other details as well as a review of the last meeting’s tastings, upcoming community wine-related events, etc. 

 You’ve done well. Membership has grown and your group of like-minded individuals are now the best of friends.  Where can you go from here? Plan a tour for your group to a wine region! Start with a short trip, perhaps a three or four day cruise in Napa Valley.   After one or two successful wine holidays, plan more extensive travel to wine regions of France, Germany, South Africa or even Australia and New Zealand.

A wine-themed European river cruise is an escape for the senses! Several river cruise lines shine their culinary spotlight on food and wine innovation in France, Portugal and along the Rhine and Danube. These sailings offer travelers many opportunities to visit, sample and buy regional wines. Imagine the thrill in bringing a bottle of wine to friends back home, serving it with just the right dishes and having a story to tell about where the wine was purchased!

Bonus features of wine-themed river cruises typically include:

• Exclusive excursions to historic wineries and vineyards
• Inspiring lectures and discussions with acclaimed wine experts
• Superb wine and food pairings
• Private wine cellar tours
• Select premium wine tastings from celebrated European wineries

Appealing?  Want to plan a river cruise for 2018 or 2019?  I would love to make this happen for you. Contact us to discuss the details. Ask about including a brief presentation to your wine or gourmet club, too!​